Good news! After twenty years, the Wicked movie is FINALLY here. Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) has blessed us with THE greatest possible movie musical adaptation I have seen in quite some time. Worldwide, this movie is soaring through the box office, surpassing its budget of $150 million, raking in an estimated $365,980,005 and counting!
It’s safe to say Broadway and Wicked nerds alike are leaving theaters in happy puddles of tears. I mean, why do I get so emotional every time I listen to the new soundtrack?! Am I cheating on the original by listening to the newer version? If you still need to take in the beauty of the soundtrack or perhaps wish to listen along while you read, you can find the new Musical Soundtrack below.
Wicked: The Soundtrack – Album by Wicked Movie Cast, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Apple Music
This movie blew my mind! I admired sooo many different things in the film, from the brilliant casting choices to the costumes and set designs to the magnificent reimagining of the beloved soundtrack and even the heartwarming array of cameos! With so much to discuss, let’s break down the magic of Wicked: Part 1!
*** Warning! The following contains a plethora of fantastical spoilers. ***
As a lifelong fan, I went into this movie with high expectations. Ever since I first saw the Broadway show, I have been daydreaming of what a movie adaptation could look like. From the moment the film began, I was instantly swept away by the design and music score. My vision of flying through OZ alongside the creepy flying monkeys during “No One Mourns the Wicked” became a reality.
One thing is for certain. I LOVED this movie! The costumes and props designed were remarkable, right down to the buttons and whimsical patterns. The attention to detail by the costume department deserves an Academy Award for their work. Every cast member had a set wardrobe perfectly tailored to their character’s personality.
Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) wardrobe, which featured the cutest “s” infinity-shaped glasses I’ve ever seen, perfectly portrays the “othered” and introspective character that eventually becomes the Wicked Witch. Costume designer, Paul Tazewell incorporated lots of organic textures into her wardrobe, with the main color being black to symbolize the mourning of her late mother.
I found it unique that the costume department decided to showcase the contrast between the supposed “light and dark” and “good and evil” characteristic stereotypes of Elphaba and Glinda (Ariana Grande). I especially loved Glinda’s wardrobe, which is funny because I am not a pink color lover usually. I could not take my eyes off Ariana Grande‘s perfectly pink and fairytale-like feminine wardrobe. Paul Tazewell pulled inspiration from the original Glinda, Billie Burke‘s pink bubble dress in The Wizard of Oz for her wardrobe. Incorporating an array of soft pinks and butterflies.
Another fantastic set of costumes? Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) ethereal high-collared gowns emulate the purity of her false kindness blended with the darkness of her unjust beliefs. The Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) wardrobe encapsulates the fun-spirited, otherworldly, misplaced traveler.
Aside from the wardrobe, this magnificent film boasts a long runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes! Which some moviegoers have either loved or detested. I for one, found it to be just long enough. After waiting 20 years for this movie, I wanted to have as much time with my favorite characters and story as possible.
The film enchanted audiences with heartwarming friendship and heartbreaking twists. One scene in particular that I found discerning was witnessing the monkeys’ evolution to grow wings. To watch the magic and amazement of the wizard fade from Elphaba’s eyes into disapproval and resentment was equally heartbreaking.
Overall, I feel the movie succeeded in giving fans a fuller and more complete story of not only Elphaba and Glinda but of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), Boq (Ethan Slater), and Nessarose (Marissa Bode). In the Broadway version, I always found Nessarose to be annoying and, quite frankly, just plain mean. But, with the film, we gained a better understanding of the soft-spoken and kindhearted sister, overshadowed by her sister’s story. I think casting made a great inclusive choice to cast Marissa Bode and other disabled actors, like the adorable breakout star Cesily Collette Taylor, who plays the younger Nessarose. She has a line, “Yeah!” that she delivered in the sweetest possible way.
I think my favorite part of the film is when we arrive in OZ and get to witness the vibrant Emerald City! When we met the Wizard and saw the giant animatronic mask, I was taken aback. It was the first time I felt the power and massive theatricality of the Wizard in an OZ movie. On top of that, I loved the miniature display of his plans for OZ and the control board for choosing a color for the road to the Emerald City. I truly admired those little details.
Right off the bat, this adaptation made a big impression with an impressive cast. Featuring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, and Peter Dinklage, and introducing Marissa Bode. With so many notable names and big silver slippers to fill, Jon M. Chu had the daunting task of creating a film that so many fans have highly anticipated over the years. So, when it came down to casting our leading ladies, Galinda and Elphaba, it needed to be positively perfect, and boy did they exceed all expectations.
Both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brought new life to the characters we’ve cherished for so long. Their friendship glowed on the screen, melting my heart (and my makeup). Not only that, but their vocal renditions blew my mind. When I first heard the songs were being recorded and performed live on set, I had unwanted flashbacks to Les Misérables and Cats. But this was nothing like those films’ recordings.
I feel silly for never imagining that Ariana Grande could sing and perform at that level. I mean I knew she could sing and act, but her performance as Glinda the Good was major, dare I say Academy Award-worthy. Ariana Grande truly emulated Glinda, defining who she fully is beyond being “The Good Witch”, perfectly capturing her sense of style, quirky personality, and plenty of hair tosses. Plus, I’m still not over “Popular” and “What is This Feeling“!
Speaking of, Cynthia Erivo also brought a refreshing air to Elphaba on screen. I never knew I could love Elphie even more… But here we are. Cynthia, you are magnificent! Cynthia Erivo took the bold step to perform her stunts and learned to sing live flying around through the air, which was quite an incredible feat! I admire Cynthia’s desire to, like Ariana Grande and Jon M. Chu, properly bring this beloved story and character to life.
When production first began, Cynthia was given the choice to wear practical green makeup or opt for digitally turning her skin green in post-production. Methodically, I appreciate her desire to truly be and see Elphaba. With that, the makeup department transformed her look with the incorporation of prosthetic ears, freckles, eyebrows, green contacts, a killer set of nails, and beautifully micro-braided wigs. She truly is Elphaba!
And let’s not forget, FIYEROOOO! Jonathan Bailey, the effortless man that you are! Why do you have such a hold on me? I was extremely excited about “Dancing Through Life” and after watching that performance, I was not okay… How am I supposed to recover in time for “As Long as Your Mine”?! I might be a little dramatic but… Have you seen his charisma and dancing? And that smile and effortless charm?
Alas, I digress… Jonathan Bailey gave us the Fiyero we’ve never really seen before. He’s not just the incredibly handsome Winkie Prince; he’s a hopeless romantic who is starting to think about things. I love how the costume department incorporated some of the Winkie Country character designs of blue and gold tribal diamond patterns from the Wicked Novel by Gregory Maguire.
My favorite thing about this movie is the choreography and how they used the set spaces/camera angles to add to the production value. My favorite set, aside from Elphaba and Glinda’s dorm room, is the library. When I first saw visuals of the set it reminded me of the circular rooms in the spaceship in 2001: A Space Odyssey. In “Dancing Through Life”, I loved how they utilized the space with the spinning bookcases and desks. It made the song’s performance more exciting and anticipatory of what would occur next.
Another thing I valued with this production is the way they incorporated dialogue and story development breaking up the songs. Unlike the Broadway production in which, within the Acts, there is a scene or two, a song, and so on. Whereas in the movie, they beautifully integrated pauses for character/story development. For instance, during the buildup in “Defying Gravity” to the iconic vocal belting “Ahahhhhh”, we get to witness a newly empowered Elphaba flying through OZ and toying with the guards. I found this to be a fun way to play with the audience waiting for cues to iconic lyrics.
Okay. Enough fangirling. Favorite track? Ummm… All of them, of course! “Popular”, “Dancing Through Life”, “The Wizard and I”, “What is This Feeling”, “No One Mourns the Wicked”, “One Short Day”, and “Defying Gravity”. It’s so hard to choose just one. Each performance radiated. But… If I had to choose one, I’d have to say “Defying Gravity”. The one thing about this film that continues to excite me is the production’s determination to create a magical film adaptation.
As noted in my previous article, Wicked Is Bringing Cinema Back! Trailer 2 Reaction and Review: from planting 9 million tulip bulbs to building a 16-ton train, a giant animatronic mask, and even giant functional sets, Jon M. Chu spared no expense on creativity. It’s refreshing to have a film pride itself on practicality. This production is unlike any other I’ve seen in recent years, bringing the magic of old filmmaking and stage productions back to light. Did I mention they painted Fiyero’s horse blue? Yes, you read that right. It should be noted, no animals were harmed in the making of this film. All animals, if harmed, were CGI, such as Dr. Dillamond and the Lion cub.
In a world of AI and visual effects, it’s rare these days to have sets that emulate a tangible and immersible world. While the film uses some visual effects, the art department worked hard to create wonderful worlds, props, and costumes that perfectly encapsulate the magic of OZ. One prop in particular was the infamous Grimmerie. I found the design to be quite enchanting. I loved how it folded and opened up like a flower.
If you want to go more behind the scenes, I recommend watching Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked.
This film was the perfect ode to the Broadway musical, but it wouldn’t be complete without a cameo… Or two… Or more! While cameos often verge on the fringe of cheesiness, I find it feeds into the sentimental nostalgia factor. With Wicked, it was a given two certain iconic queens would make an appearance, but how? Before the film’s release, the soundtrack was revealed and spoiled a pretty big SPOILER. Not only were Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth making an appearance, but we were to also be blessed with their vocals during “One Short Day” as part of The Emerald City Players. I mean, how perfect is that?! And the moment they came on screen I was immediately a puddle.
But they weren’t the only cameos. During the same performance, Stephen Schwartz (Composer and Lyricist) and his longtime partner Michael McCorry Rose (Fiyero understudy/Replacement, 2003) made appearances. Michael was a fellow Emerald City Player and introduced Idina and Kristin. Stephen Schwartz’s cameo was also revealed ahead of time, and he had the honor of playing THE Emerald City Guard announcing, “The Wizard will see you now!” Another cameo, during the same number, was Winnie Holzman, author of the book adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, producer, playwright, and screenwriter.
So, will we get more cameos in part 2? We’ll just have to wait and see.
*** Warning! The following contains spoilers for Part 2. ***
Now that we’ve witnessed Act 1, we have a year until Part 2 is released. So, what’s next in the magical, untold story of the Witches of OZ? While we will be witnessing songs we know dearly like “As Long as You’re Mine” and “For Good”, Wicked: Part 2 will be expanding upon the soundtrack with new songs! Casting rumors for Dorothy are also swirling about the infamous girl from Kansas, who is rumored to be portrayed by Alisha Weir (Matilda, Abigail). We’ll also witness an evil Nessarose, Boq the Tin Man, Fiyero the Scarecrow, and even a wedding… They’re going to have a wedding! Jon M. Chu certainly knows how to work with his teams to plan a spectacular movie wedding—looking at you Crazy Rich Asians and the magnificently tranquil water in a church wedding!
Overall, I give this movie a soup rating of 10 out of 10! This movie defied all expectations and brought the beauty and magic of cinema back to Hollywood.
Wicked in theaters now! Wicked: Part 2 in theaters November 21, 2025. Have you seen the popular movie adaptation? What did you think? Who was your favorite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
